How Severe is the 2015 Drought Situation on the West Coast?

""California's reservoirs have about a year's worth of water left. Groundwater levels, seen as a "savings account" that the state can draw from in dry times, are at an all-time low. The US Drought Monitor comes out with weekly drought maps based on satellite imagery, precipitation, and water flow data; the Central Valley—America's bread basket—is covered in dark red, "exceptional drought."

What exactly is groundwater, and why are people in California freaking out about it? Groundwater is the water that seeps through the ground when it rains. Over the centuries, it accumulates in vast underground aquifers, with older water found deeper in the earth's crust. Accessed through wells, groundwater is often compared to a savings account in California—good to have in dry times but difficult to refill. The issue now is that with reservoirs (above ground) so depleted, groundwater use is spiking. Farmers are drilling deeper and deeper for water—using water that fell 20,000 years ago. Usually, groundwater makes up about 40 percentof the state's freshwater usage, but with the recent drought, that number has leapt to 65 percent. This year, it may rise to 75 percent.

What are the state's biggest water users? Farming in general, and alfalfa (used to feed cows) and almonds in particular. California grows half of the fruits and veggies produced in the States, including more than 90 percent of the country'sgrapes, broccoli, almonds, and walnuts. Here are some of the state's most thirsty crops:

Alfalfa is a superfood of sorts for cows, and it's in high demand in the Golden State, which leads the country in dairy production and is also a major beef producer. (Fun fact: It takes nearly 700 gallons of water to grow the alfalfa necessary to produce one gallon of milk, and 425 gallons of water to produce 4 ounces of beef.) Almonds are second from the top, both because it takes a lot of water to produce nuts (a single almond takes a gallon of water) but also because the crunchy snack is in vogue in the United States and abroad. The water that's used to grow the California almonds that are exported overseas in one year would be enough to fuel Los Angeles for nearly three years.""

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/04/everything-you-wanted-know-about-california-drought

How to Achieve Permanent Healing Through Reiki?: Modern Day Reiki Appeals to Larger Western Populous Demographic this Century

How to achieve permanent healing through Reiki?

By AnninditaRoy  |  Posted December 20, 2014  |  Atlanta, Georgia

I have been a Reiki Master in several different Reiki styles which includes the traditional Usui Reiki and some non-traditional styles such as Celtic Reiki, Celtic wisdom Reiki, Self Love Reiki, Abundance Reiki, Bear Reiki, Excalibur Reiki and a few more. I have worked on many people during this time including my mother who was suffering from chronic arthritis pain, my sister suffering from piles, another sister severe neck and shoulder pain, my aunt suffering from spondylitis and myself suffering from asthma and allergies. I have been successful to a great extent in providing permanent relief in most of these cases. However, it would be incorrect to say that all of the healings that I have performed have been permanent. Many times I have had people ask me what I think is the secret to achieving permanent cure through Reiki or any other alternate healing modality for that matter. The answer to this may not be a straight forward one as there are several factors responsible for causing disease as well as for achieving permanent healing. 

The human body comprises not just of the physical body but it also includes the mind and spirit. A lot of new age writers talk about this. They call it the mind-body-spirit connection or even refer to it as the holy trinity i.e Father-Son-Holy Spirit. What we need to understand is this that health is our natural state of being and it is not normal to be unhealthy no matter how old we are, or what diseases run in our family. Disease occurs when the mind, body and spirit stop working together in a unified way. In our modern societies, it is a common norm to feel a certain way and say something else, while intending something else and doing a totally different thing altogether. In fact, from a very early age, our parents or caregivers start teaching us how we should and shouldn't be feeling and how to suppress any emotions that may be considered inappropriate or negative and instead say something else that would be pleasing or acceptable to the listener. As a result, as adults, such children have a difficult time expressing their true selves. This kind of suppression of the natural human emotions and labeling them to be good or bad can sometimes cause major damages to a person's psyche, leading to mental, emotional and psychological issues. 

While this is just one of the ways in which our society teaches us to ignore our true emotions and to deal with them in a healthy way, there are many other ways in which mental, emotional and spiritual growth is suppressed amongst individuals. This causes the mind, body and spirit connection to weaken or even become non-existent. When this happens and continues for a prolonged period of time, the body goes out of whack and problems now start manifesting in the physical realm. All diseases start in the non-physical realm i.e they may start at the emotional, mental or spiritual level. And then they begin to show up in the physical body in various ways, shapes and forms. 

Reiki utilizes non-physical energy for bringing about health and healing. It is this non-physical energy which our universe is made up of. As energy is non physical in nature, there is no physical intervention required with Reiki. It is a non-invasive, non-touch alternative healing modality wherein the Reiki practitioner channels vital life force energy into the recipients body. Reiki energy starts working on all levels, especially, on the energetic levels i.e mental, physical and emotional levels. Now, this energy is very powerful and can definitely bring about complete healing. However, the extent to which the healee/receiver will be healed would depend a lot on the extent to which the person is ready to be healed. Also, we must keep in mind that sometimes healing is not just about keeping the person alive but also providing the space for the person to transition in peace. If the receiver feels that he/she deserves to be sick or unhealthy or feels that nothing can help his/her condition or that it is hereditary and therefore they are destined to have the ailment anyways, then the healing sessions may not provide a permanent cure but just temporary relief. Because while on one hand the Reiki energy is working on all levels trying to bring the mind, body and spirit back into a state of balance and harmony, the receiver is actively, through his/her belief system short circuiting this connection. 

Hence, no one can predict or guarantee in advance the extent to which a Reiki session would help you in eliminating/treating your ailment successfully. However, it must be added that the sole responsibility of your healing doesn't lie in the hands of your Reiki practitioner. In fact it is a 3 way process wherein you-the receiver, the universe and the practitioner are involved. The practitioner is just the medium/channel through which the healing Reiki energies are brought forward and transferred to the recipient. The Universe is the source from which this energy is coming forward. The rest is in the receivers hands. It is the receivers responsibility to ensure that they are doing their best to transmute any negative thoughts or feelings associated with their ailment and be as positive as possible and come to the session with an open mind. It could also be beneficial to learn about the Reiki principles and to attend a Reiki session with an attitude of gratitude.

Source Page:

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1199219?ref=feeds%2Flatest

Holistic Health Philosophy and Practice: So How Does Acupuncture Work?

""I was raised, like most everybody else, on the idea that diseases are to be attacked, usually by drugs or surgery. The more serious the disease, the more aggressive the attack should be. If you follow this thinking, minimally aggressive treatment, such as acupuncture, should be helpful only for very minor problems, and most of its effects would be “in the patient’s head.”

But that hasn’t been my experience. I have seen acupuncture help patients with serious problems, including those who were resistant to drugs and surgery: problems ranging from disabling headaches, digestive problems, back pain and sciatica, anxiety and depression — a whole range of conditions. While acupuncture is not the first choice for medical emergencies, it is a very effective and safe treatment for many conditions.

The most common question I get about acupuncture is, how does it work? I usually try to dodge the question by replying, “It works great!” The truth is, while I know how to do acupuncture, the basic concepts are foreign to those of us raised with medical care.

Acupuncture uses a type of healing that we Westerners are not very familiar with: the concept of chi, or life energy. Instead of seeing a disease as an entity that needs to be attacked, acupuncturists see it as an imbalance or blockage of this energy flow. The energy flow then can be restored by treating special points in the body. When the energy flow is restored, the body can finally complete the healing process.

When I put a needle in an acupuncture point in the foot — which, according to ancient principles, is supposed to treat a muscle in the groin — and the chronic spasm in that muscle, which had been resistant to chiropractic care, deep tissue treatment and stretching, relaxes instantly, I recognize there is something going on that defies easy explanation. I have seen similar, sometimes instant results with abdominal pain, headache, even sinus congestion. I have to believe there is a flow of energy from the point in the foot to the muscle in the groin, that this energy flow is very fast and piercing the point restored it — quite similar to electricity, really. Score another point for the chi theory.""

Link to Main Article:

http://bangordailynews.com/2015/01/15/health/blogs-and-columns/how-does-acupuncture-work/